*COVID-19: Edo discharges 58 more patients, tests 8759 residents, traces 4756 others*

The Edo State Government has announced the discharge of 58 more coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, who have tested negative for the virus and cleared from the state’s isolation centres to return to their families.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, who spoke to journalists in Benin City, commended the sacrifice, resilience and commitment of health workers and other essential workers on the frontlines of the government’s efforts at containing the pandemic.

The commissioner further reiterated the need to protect the state’s aged population, urging residents to comply with all guidelines and safety measures to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.

Okundia noted that the state has recorded 11 new confirmed cases, tested at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) laboratory.

Okundia said Edo has so far recorded a total of 8350 suspected cases, 1885 confirmed cases, 62 deaths and 1208 discharges, adding that the state has tested over 8759 residents and is contact tracing 4756 others across the state’s 18 local government areas.

The commissioner who identified screening and testing as essential in the government’s efforts at containing the pandemic, urged all citizens to comply with government directives, aimed at ensuring the health and safety of all Edo people.

"While the government ramps up efforts to win the war against this common enemy, it is imperative that residents stay at home and observe social distancing guidelines and other precautionary measures against the spread of the disease, including regular handwashing with soap under running water and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Cover your mouth and nose properly when sneezing and/or coughing.

“Two toll-free lines for COVID-19 response have been introduced by Edo State Government to strengthen the initial lines from the State Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) distributed at the onset of the outbreak. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, please call 08001235111 or 08002200110 for assistance," he said.

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